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A Five Year Plan You Decide


westcoasterman
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Westcoasterman, in one of your earlier entries you mentioned something about a source that spoke about the potential removal of one of KI's coasters that you wished we could all save. Could that potential removal be The Vortex? I have heard a few such rumors of that coaster's removal for a couple year's now and I could see CF taking it out for a possible B & M. This would sadden me because The Vortex was my first coaster with inversions and has some sentimental value to me. I also agree with you that the park's footprint should be bigger and the removal of coasters needs to end. Especially The Vortex with its popularity and relatively low maintenance costs.

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I have come to find out that source may not be correct. Therefore I should not repeat what I can not verify. I think that would be better than saying something that could be wrong.

As fun as rumors are sometimes, that's probably for the best. And...I hope that Vortex isn't sinking.

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I agree, Disney uses a lot of indoor pavilions to house a lot of rides. I could never understand way northern seasonal parks didn’t move in that direction too. If most attractions in the north were housed in pavilions the seasons could be extended and Winterfest would get a bigger draw.

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Why do I keep hearing this old jingle:

"Bring a date and your brother or your mate and your mother and putt-putt a hole in one! A Putt-putt putter is a much better putter cuz Putt-putt makes it fun! So, Putt-putt for the fun of it, Putt-putt for the fun of it, Putt-putt for the fun of it Putt-PUTT for the FUN of IT!"

By the way, most of them folded.

There is a reason....

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A couple of indoor rides would be a great idea. Not sure what that might be but, we have creative thinking people on her maybe someone has an idea or two. I do agree a putt-putt is not a top priority but, if it was put in an area with other pay-to-play attraction it would do well. Challenge park at Cedar Point always has a busy putt-putt course.

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I really don't think that putt putt could add much to a park. It's something I do when we are too sunburnt at the beach to swim. I also never like to spend more at a park than I have to. That way, I can waste all of my leftover money on games! (Thus, why I plan to stay away from casinos) Indoor rides seem like a good idea. It could start to sprinkle, so everyone heads for those, while I stay out in the light rain, and ride the coasters...

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I think a B&M inverted roller coaster that replicated a flyover of the states would be pretty cool! Put it in a giant building and all under the coaster put a model town, sorta like they do on Peter Pan at Disney. Although, I just figured out a problem with this idea....you would be going really fast to notice much I think :(

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I am just rambling on here so forgive me now, or don’t read any further!

Eventually most schools with switch over to the year-round schedule and I believe that the seasonal parks who don’t adapt or formulate a plan to try to offer the kids who will or those who are now only off for 5 weeks in the summer will suffer from some very lean years in attendance and financially wise until they make some changes. In fact some parks or reporting drops in attendance levels while year-round schools are increasing attendance levels rapidly with each passing year.

I think Parks like Cedar Fair who have lots of tall mega Coasters will need to be more creative in trying to make coming changes in the future. I can see real good possibilities to a park like Kings Island adapting to the coming changes down the road by starting gradually now. Such as putting most future attractions in doors, maybe a dome over International Street with a great musical fountain and a several sit down restaurants. In fact I could see this being done gradually over many years. At some point if done right I could see Kings Island becoming a year round park, adapting to a national societal change. I am not saying that everything should be indoors because those outside attractions will keep guest coming back for a different experience at the park as the seasons change. So in reality parks that converted would be able to attract guest to come to their parks multiple times throughout the year instead of trying to get them to do it all in the few weeks of summer.

If your reading this then there is no need to apologies for my ramblings as you have already forgiven me.

To prove a small point, most year-round schools are out till next Tuesday so alot of rooms are booked at GWL on this Thursday night so us families can get those great off season weekday rates. The Point is I don’t believe there are a lot of schools in the Cincinnati area on the year-round schedule. So these are out of towners who have decided to come over in February. If Kings Island was adapted to a more winter time indoor attractions I believe the out of towners would include a visit to Kings Island as well.

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I think it sounds like a reasonable progression. It also would possibly help to attract help also. You would be hiring people for year round. Full-times jobs are sometimes easier to fill then part-time. You would still need seasonal help but, most jobs like reastaurant help and custodial would be able to be full-time. We are talking way down the road but, who knows...

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With Cedar Fair owning three major amusement parks in the state of Ohio, I think you have a ready-made major and strong opponent to year round schools. They will fight this proposal with every inch of their being...

They maybe able to lobby their own state to resist change but the parents of Ohio will demand to catch -up to the rest of the nation , so eventually Ohio will too. Then if Cedar Fair resisted to make the changes they will learn the lessons that Kodak and the Bell companies have when they scoffed and continued the status quo.

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I agree they do but over time this is going to happen.

IMHO a good management team would not fight such a societal change but adapt to it. By housing more inside attractions they could remain open year round on the weekends, holidays and during the week when the schools on break. I think they would make far more doing that than what they are currently doing.

Infact Marketing could target certain areas by offering students low prices for their families if the achieve certain standards such as, attendance, grade, reading program, bands and sporting events. But that would require thinking outside the box and a major financial investment over time.

If they embraced the changes they could hold onto their student staff year-round and not letting them find new jobs in the off season then subsequently losing them. Because they would be open on weekends and when schools are out they would still be able to depend on them being avaliable.

By the way the tourist industry is already seeing the advantages from the year-round approach. They are saying that families who are on that plan take more out of town vacations because they are spaced out over 4 long periods vs. the old way of trying to do all the vacations in the summer and over the crowded, over priced spring break period.

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I agree that If KI had more indoor attractions, they could stay open year round and just close the outdoor ones. However...I do not see as many schools as you do in favor of changing to year round schools.

Studies have been done and I remember a teacher last year telling me when I asked her that according to one study schools that are open year round have a higher case of burnout and in fact test scores tend to be lower.

Also, do not forget you have to find teachers that are willing to work over the summer as well, without increasing salaries and busting the state and local treasuries! Lots of teachers work because the 2 and a half months off over the summer is a great perk. I do not see alot more schools converting to year round schooling...there simply dont appear to be any concrete advantages, but many disadvantages...not to mention opposition. Which lets face it, insurance companies have fought Drivers license age increases for a very long time!

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Cory; at the bottom of this page I have just took the first three links to back up what I am saying’ as far as studies they all are flawed the teachers unions have commissioned several studies that shows some serious flaws and they accuse the other side that they are doing the same thing..

So the real test is results. I can tell that you do not live in an area that is currently offering this because if you did like I do you would actually see the results from the students in year round schools taking the same test as the regular school calendar scoring almost 42% higher on their state wide test. That has convinced parents her to put their children on the long waiting list to get their children in. We had to sign our daughter up to a lottery to get her in ( we prayed for like mad for months). The rest or put on a waiting list. The states largest school district has just announced that they will be shutting down about 8 schools next year due to the parents opting to take their children to this new program. The Superintendent said more schools will be closing every year until the trend changes. Surrounding townships schools took note and started to offer half there district to the year round school, then after a long waiting list and parents complaints a couple districts decided to have year-round school district wide.

You see parents will decide what’s best, not some skewed study. Her they are signing onto long waiting list to get their kids in, while the old antiquated system can take you anytime with no wait list. As far as teacher burnout, a lot of teachers are asking for this so much in fact in my daughters school it was the teachers who begged the school board to make the change. I can show you a study that shows the teachers say that the old way is what causes them burnout. So that’s a wash and I can give you my daughters teachers phone number to back this all up.

Here is the challenge find me one teacher or parent that has went through the year round schedule for one year and report that they disliked it. (actually you may find 1, but 99.9% will tell you they love it!)

My neighbor laughed at us when my daughter started last July 20th but by Thanksgiving she was at the school trying to get her two children in after seeing the benefits first hand from us. They are on the waitlist for next year.

Don’t knock it till you try it, or at least ask someone who has been through it,. As always when reading a study report find out who paid for the study first.

Hey it’s not for everybody, but watching this transformation here and being a parent in a nervous gym prying while listening to other parents scream with joy when they her their child name being read from a lottery, I would have to say the teachers and parents are in fact saying bring it on.

But let’s not forget what is best for the students in today’s world.

http://www.hometownsource.com/columns_opin...ies/120100.html

http://homeparents.about.com/cs/backtoscho...roundschool.htm

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Guest kwindshawne
I agree they do but over time this is going to happen.

IMHO a good management team would not fight such a societal change but adapt to it. By housing more inside attractions they could remain open year round on the weekends, holidays and during the week when the schools on break. I think they would make far more doing that than what they are currently doing.

Infact Marketing could target certain areas by offering students low prices for their families if the achieve certain standards such as, attendance, grade, reading program, bands and sporting events. But that would require thinking outside the box and a major financial investment over time.

If they embraced the changes they could hold onto their student staff year-round and not letting them find new jobs in the off season then subsequently losing them. Because they would be open on weekends and when schools are out they would still be able to depend on them being avaliable.

By the way the tourist industry is already seeing the advantages from the year-round approach. They are saying that families who are on that plan take more out of town vacations because they are spaced out over 4 long periods vs. the old way of trying to do all the vacations in the summer and over the crowded, over priced spring break period.

NOt to be a party pooper, but good management is hard to find these days.....the last few employers I've had only cared about the bottom line and would achieve that at any human cost

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Guest kwindshawne

Got a second job, however I will be looking for a new full time job very soon

As far as the five year plan? I dunno-will have to give it a lot of thought-I know i have harped on this alot, but removing the antique cars was the worst thing they did-after living in california, KI has become very "glamourous" and that is not always a good place to be

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